[Allergy smallerg...]

I realise there is an Allergy section here, but this is equally a question to people who don't have allergies as well as those with.

Does your child's school have an allergen free policy? What do you think of it? Do you think it's fair to make other families change their way of eating to cater to one child with anaphylaxis? Do you think a class ban is more acceptable than a whole school one?

If you are a parent of an ANA child, did you find it more comforting to have a complete school or class ban of the particular food? Or how else have you managed it? How far do you go in protecting your child?

In particular, parents who've had to deal with an ANA reaction with their child, the fear of seeing them purple and struggling to breathe, does going to school in the absence of a ban worry you?

Thank you.

[Orange Underpant...]

Mine don't have allergies, but no, it doesn't bother me that there are some foods that are not allowed at school. There are plenty of alternatives and they can have the other foods at home.

It's a no brainer for me.

[Funwith3]

My children thankfully have no allergies. Both my daughters LOVE peanut butter. Sometimes making school lunches becomes a real pain but I 100% support our school's "no nuts" policy. Imagine my child eats her peanut butter sandwich, gets it on her hands and then plays on the monkey bars. Poor little anaphylactic child comes along for a swing on the monkey bars and there you have it - that's how easily it's transferred.

Pointless to ban just one class.

I just imagine if it was my child, I would want everyone's cooperation. After all, for some kids it's a matter of life and death.

[tenar]

I think it gets tricky when you have to ban several different things that different children are allergic to. So it's not just nuts, but also eggs, shellfish, whatever.

Not sure what the answer is to that one. Surely the children who are allergic to eggs or dairy or wheat or whatever have just as much of a right to be safe at school as those allergic to nuts.

Agreed that it's a care of needing cooperation. And thanks, EB, for discussing this issue often enough that I have learned more than I would have without that. DD1 has a child in her class at kindy this year who is allergic to nuts, fish and eggs. Without EB I wouldn't have known that having these things for breakfast could be a problem, etc. So we'll be more careful because of the people here who discuss it.

[Allergy smallerg...]

There are no current bans at the school but each class has it's own policies. This particular class will be peanut and egg free (two different children).

[~sydblue~]

Our school has no bans and as far as I know, never have.

[Lyra]

My child eats twice a day at school. It's pretty easy to put together something that is nut free (or egg and nut or whatever) for one snack and one lunch. I would hate to have to deal with it all the time. It really is no big deal and I can't understand why other people have a problem with it

I also think that it's better to have a school ban rather than a class ban. It's just easier to manage and doesn't single out one child in particular

[Juki]

At our daycare we have no nuts, strawberries, kiwi fruit or eggs I think. I don't have a problem with it and I think it is fair.

[laladidah]

dd doesn't have any known allergies, but when she goes to school if there is a ban on nuts, eggs, whatever, i don't have a problem with it.

I think most parents agree, that a childs life far outweighs any preference my child has for a peanut butter sandwich at lunchtime!

[mumoftwoboys]

As a parent of a 3 year old who is allergic to nuts the whole school issue is a worry. Child care is nut free and all food made on site.
I am not sure about a class ban.
The schools management of serious food allergies will be something I will consider in deciding where to send him. Nut free would be preferred for me but also hoping with age he will be able to self manage as well.